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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

Report – The Cost of Crisis-Driven Fiscal Policy

“Even as Congressional leaders and the president discuss a potential temporary solution to the current stalemate over the government shutdown and the debt ceiling, the repeated cycle of lurching from crisis to crisis has significant and real costs to the U.S. economy A new report, prepared by Macroeconomic Advisers, LLC for the Peter G. Peterson… Continue Reading

Mortgage Market Conditions and Borrower Outcomes

Mortgage Market Conditions and Borrower Outcomes: Evidence from the 2012 HMDA Data and Matched HMDA–Credit Record Data, Neil Bhutta and Glenn B. Canner “This article describes mortgage lending activity in 2012 based on newly available data reported under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 (HMDA). In addition, we present the results of a first… Continue Reading

Poll – The New American Center

“An exclusive Esquire-NBC News survey [rendered in a series of infographics that accompany the data for each respective question/answer] shows us that everything we are told about politics in America today—that there is no middle ground between left and right, blue and red, us and them—is wrong. The data, compiled by the Benenson Strategy Group… Continue Reading

London’s Poverty Profile 2013

London’s Poverty Profile – The Trust for London and the New Policy Institute – Hannah Aldridge, Sabrina Bushe, Peter Kenway, Tom MacInnes and Adam Tinson. “London’s Poverty Profile looks at the extent and depth of poverty and inequality in London. It is an independent report that presents evidence from official government data sources. The scope… Continue Reading

Congressional Notification for Authorized Public Disclosure of Intelligence Information

Steven Aftergood/Secrecy News: “A new Department of Defense directive requires the Pentagon to notify Congress whenever a DoD official discloses classified intelligence to a reporter on an authorized basis, or declassifies the information specifically for release to the press. The new directive on “Congressional Notification for Authorized Public Disclosure of Intelligence Information” applies to all… Continue Reading

WaPo – NSA challenged by data overcollection from e-mail address books, buddy lists

Barton Gellman, Ashkan Soltani, Julie Tate: “The National Security Agency is harvesting hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal e-mail and instant messaging accounts around the world, many of them belonging to Americans, according to senior intelligence officials and top-secret documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The collection program, which has not… Continue Reading

The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program

“The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) provides a set of guiding principles for exercise programs, as well as a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. Exercises are a key component of national preparedness —they provide elected and appointed officials and stakeholders from across the whole… Continue Reading

Gallup – In U.S., Online Education Rated Best for Value and Options

Viewed as weakest in terms of trusted grading and acceptance by employers by Lydia Saad, Brandon Busteed, and Mitchell Ogisi “Still something of a novelty, online education is seen relatively positively by Americans for giving students a wide range of curricula options and for providing good value for the money. However, Americans tend to think… Continue Reading

WHO – Research for universal health coverage 2013

“Universal health coverage ensures everyone has access to the health services they need without suffering financial hardship as a result. In December 2012, a UN resolution was passed encouraging governments to move towards providing universal access to affordable and quality health care services. As countries move towards it, common challenges are emerging — challenges to… Continue Reading

TRAC – Fewer Immigration Removal Filings Based on Criminal Activity

“Of all filings in the Immigration Courts seeking to deport noncitizens during fiscal year 2013, only one in seven (14.4 percent) have been based on alleged criminal activity. This proportion is roughly half what it was twenty years ago, when 28.5 percent — more than a quarter — of removal filings were based on criminal… Continue Reading